The present invention relates to a rolling roller so-called (flat roller) that can adjust the roll width, which means gap of the shoulder of the rolling wheel portion, so as to roll flat steel, and also relates to a rolling mill provided with the rolling roller.
Rolling mills for rolling steel have a horizontal roller that comprises a roller shaft and sleeves that engage with the outer side of the roller shaft. Such a configuration makes it possible to roll H-section steels that have different web heights since the position of the sleeve in the axial direction can be changed to alter the roll width, which means the gap between the shoulder of the rolling wheel provided to the sleeve and the shoulder of the rolling wheel provided to the roll shaft, or the gap between the shoulders of each of the rolling wheels of two sleeves.
One example of such a conventional rolling mill is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 17310-1986. In this example, the adjustment of the position of the sleeve in the direction of the shaft requires means for moving the sleeve and fixing it with respect to the roll. This rolling mill is provided with hydraulic blocks (so-called hydraulic cylinders) at distal end portions of the roll shaft and these blocks are also linked to the sleeves on the roller shaft to move and fix it.
In addition to this, some rolling mills have an adjustment screw and a rotational drive mechanism built into the rolling roller so that the position of the sleeve in the axial direction can be adjusted by turning the screw to feed the sleeve.
However, the conventional rolling mill disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 17310-1986 has the problems described under a) and b) below.
a) It is necessary for a hydraulic block that adjusts the position of the sleeve to be large and have a high output and to be provided on the rolling roller. During rolling, a significant rolling reaction, which can reach the order of several tons when large H-sections are being rolled, acting from the material being rolled and in the direction of the shaft, in other words, the direction of thrust, is applied to the sleeve and this force is a force that moves the sleeve with respect to the roller shaft. A significant output to resist this force is therefore necessary. PA1 b) In addition to the rolling roller which assembled to the rolling mill and used therefor, it is also necessary to include a spare rolling roller. When there is wear and the like of the roller surface, the rolling roller that is assembled to the roller shaft and the sleeve and other parts must be taken from the fixed housing as it is, the rolling mill placed in standby and another rolling roller brought in to replace it. It is necessary from the point of view of productivity that this replacement work should be performed quickly and so a hydraulic block provided on the roller shaft must be assembled beforehand at a required place. This means that large-scale hydraulic blocks are necessary in large numbers and this requires additional cost, and there is also a considerable maintenance load as the replacement work becomes complex and involves much time.
On the other hand, when there is a position adjustment screw between the sleeve and the roll shaft, it is necessary to have a complex mechanism in order to drive the screw. That mechanism must also be incorporated into the rolling roller itself and so must also be exchanged when the rolling roller is exchanged and this also involves a significant cost and maintenance load.